Apparatus for taking a sample of an earth formation



p 1955 c. E. BANNISTER 2,717,760

APPARATUS FOR TAKING A SAMPLE OF AN EARTH FORMATION Original Filed Nov. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l (a ll 6 F |G.l' F IG.2

.INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 13, 1955 c. E. BANNISTER APPARATUS FOR TAKING A SAMPLE OF AN EARTH FORMATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 8, 1947 l lllll'."

m unx lll I INVENTOR ATTORNEY ates APPARATUS FOR TAKING A SAMPLE OF AN EARTH FORMATION 784,903, now Patent No. 2,599,040, dated June 3,

1952. Divided and this application March 15, 1952, Serial No. 276,771

3 Claims. (Cl. 2551.4)

This invention relates to apparatus for obtaining samples of earth materials in inaccessible places, as in the surveying of oil wells, or for otherwise operating upon a wall in an earth boring.

The present application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 784,903, filed November 8, 1947, upon which Patent No. 2,599,040 was granted on June 3, 1952.

In my U. S. Patent No. 1,955,166 I have described and claimed apparatus wherein samples are obtained by firing into the formation a projectile having a hollow forward portion adapted to receive a sample of the formation into which it is shot and to retain the sample as the projectile is recovered. Also oil-well casing heretofore has been perforated by firing a projectile through it.

The chief objects of my present invention are to provide an improved sample-taking projectile and means forretrieving it.

More specific objects will be manifest in the following description.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical middle section, on line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of a device embodying my invention in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a vertical middle section of the same, on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of the same on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal middle section, on a much larger scale, of one of the firing devices.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face view, on a somewhat larger scale than that of Figs. 1 to 3, of one of a pair of sheetmetal strips for holding a large number of the firing devices in orderly arrangement while they are moved past the firing position and in succession perform their functions.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the device there shown is adapted for sample-taking and comprises a casing which preferably is made up of several separable parts, here shown as a generally cylindrical body member 10, and, suitably secured to it, an upper end-closure member 11 and a lower end-closure member 12.

At the firing position the body member is formed at.

one side with a hole 13 through its wall for the passage outwardly and back of successive captive projectiles and atthe diametrically opposite position is formed with an inwardly bayed portion 14 which provides a reactionsustaining member in the nature of a breech block and which has slidably mounted in an aperture extending through it, a firing pin 15.

In the present embodiment, although the invention is not wholly limited to this, each of the cartridges, 16, 16, is in effect a gun barrel, of which the inner construction and arrangement will be later described. For holding them in orderly arrangement for moving them in procession past the firing position each of them is formed with two spaced-apart annular grooves 17, 17 in which are adapted to engage respective circumferential series of spring fingers 18, 18, Fig. 5, formed in each of a pair of sheet-metal strips 19, 19 by stamping out holes, such as the holes 20, 20 in Fig. 5, and making radial cuts 21, 21 extending outward from the holes, this construction being such that each cartridge can be mounted, as a step of a ladder-like structure, in a pair of the metal strips as the side members of the ladder, by being forced through the holes 20 until the spring fingers 18 snap into the grooves 17.

For guiding the ladder-like structure past the firing position the body member 10 of the casing is internally formed with two pairs of laterally extensive guide-way ribs 22, 22 and 2323a, 23-23a, the latter pair, at one side of the device, being interrupted, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, to accommodate an escapement device comprising a pawl member 24, the guideway ribs being formed with vertical guide-way grooves in their inwardlyfacing edges for receiving with an easy sliding fit the margins of the metal strips 19.

Each of the metal strips 19 has its margin adjacent the pawl member 24 formed with ratchet-like teeth 25, 25, adapted to support the ladder-like structure upon the pawl member 24, against gravity, when the pawl member is engaged with a pair of teeth, one on each of the two metal strips.

The pawl member 24, pivoted at 26 between two bosses 27, 27 projecting from the guide-way ribs, is downwardly forked, each of the fork arms being formed with a pawl hook for engaging the ratchet teeth of the adjacent cartridge-holding strip 19 and with a seat for a compression spring 28 interposed between the arm of the pawl member and a spring seat formed on the inner face of the casing, so that these two springs 28 constantly urge the pawl member about its pivot 26 toward its position of engagement with the ratchet teeth of the cartridge-holding strips.

Adjacent its pivot the member 24 is formed with a short, horizontal, cam-latch, pawl-retracting arm 29, Fig. 2, adapted to be engaged and released by a camlatch hook 30 mounted on the lower end of the flat spring 31, as the hook and spring are moved relatively downward and upward. The spring 31 has its upper end secured to the lower end of a vertical bar 32 which slidably extends through suitable brackets, such as the bracket 33, projecting from the inner face of the casing. The upper end of the bar 32 is secured to a spring-seat head 34 formed on the lower end of a supporting bar 35 which slidably but non-rotatably extends upward through a spring-seat and bar-guiding neck 36 formed on the upper end-closure member 11. Above the neck 36 the bar 35 has removably secured upon it, as by screw threads, a head member 37 formed with an eye for the anchoring of a cable to it and formed also with a stop-flange 38 at its lower end adapted to abut the upper end of the neck 36 to limit relative downward movement of the bar 35 and members mounted upon it.

Interposed between the spring-seat head 34 and the spring seat formed in the neck 36, and surrounding the bar 35, is a compression spring 39 of such strength and of such preloading as to support the casing and the parts within it other than those that are directly supported by the post 35, and thus to hold the neck 36 in contact with the stop-flange 38, whenever the cable is supporting the weight, or a force only a little greater than the weight, of the casing and its contents.

The spring 39 however has such strength, preloading, range and modulus that when it is subjected to a determinately greater load, as by lowering the device and suddenly stopping it or reversing its movement by means of the cable, or by suddenly accelerating it upward from a stationary condition by means of the cable, the spring is further compressed and the bar 35 and parts directly supported by itrmove upward with.relationtothecasiug untiL. the spring-seat head 34 is stopped by contact with the inner face of the upper end-closure member 11.

Insuch manipulation ofthedevice the 'inertia'iof the casing and some. of the other .parts, ortheir inertia plus i the resistance of fluid in the'wel1,.causes the'relative 1113- ward movement of the bar 35 and parts carried-by-it In the first part of this relative upward movement the cam-latch hook 30, engaged with the'cam-latch pawllifting arm 29,'rotates the'pawlmember 24-about its pivot 26 untilangular movement of the arm 29 'disengages it'from the book, which is sufiicient-rotationto lift the pawls hooks from the pair of ratchetteeth-andto permit the ladder-like cartridge'assembly to be-started-=relatively downward by gravity and/or its inertia.

Then the springs 28 immediately return the pawl member-24 to-contact the-metal strips-19,10 engagethe next pair ofratchet teeth and thus-stop the-next cartridge or gun in firing position.-

When the cable, the head 37 and-the-barr3s are again held still-the spring liftsthe-casingand other parts back to'the original. position, in which they are showrrin Fig. 2, the cam faces of the arm 29 and the--hook-30 flexing the spring 31 andthus allowing them to pass each other and re-engage for-the cycle of operation as described;

For actuating the firing pin--15near the end-of the relatively upward movement of the bar-35 and its'head 34,- after the new cartridge has been brought to'firing position as described, an L-shaped hammer 40,- Fig; l, ispivotally suspended at 41* in the bayed portion14 of the casing and has a horizontalarrn in position to be struck by 'a vertical bar 42 upon descent of the latter through a' large-clearance hole formed in the upper wall'of the' in wardly bayed portion of the casing. 30

The'bar 42'is slidably but non-rotatablymounted'in brackets 43,'43a' projecting from-the inner wall of the casing and at a little distance above the lower bracket has secured upon it a spring-seat collar 44 which is 'adapted to contact, at almost the limit of the downward movement of the bar, the upper end of a compression 'spring45' seated upon the lower bracket and adapted to permitthe bar to complete itsistroke to fire'the cartridge but of such strength that itthen lifts the bar, slightly, torelease' the? firing pin so that the next cartridge, can crowd the firing 45 pin out of its way by contact withthe tapered frontend of the firingpin.

In so liftingflthe bar 42 slightly the relatively strong" spring 45 re-establishes a preloaded 'conditionof a long spring 46. which is mounted between .the. spring-seat col-' lar 44 and the upper bracket 43;"

Secured to the upper end of the bar 42 and projecting upward therefrom ,is a .fiatrspring-47'havin'ga cam-latch" head 54% 'on its upperrendh The head '48 is adapted to interlockwith a camp-latch arm 49 projecting horizontally if from the spring-seat head 34 of thebar 35, and isada'pted i toibe disengaged therefrom by cam action of a camelu'gf 50 projecting downward from the inner face of-the end-' closure member 11,v just before the spring-seat head ,34' is stopped by contact with the end-closure .member,,at which time the-long spring 46 has been highly compressed by upward movement of the bar 42 and its' collar 44.".

Thereupon the spring. 46 drives the bar 42'Trapidly'. downward and thus fires the cartridge and. thesprings 46" and 45,opposing each other, then hold the bar and its cam hook48 in-position fo'r reengagernent' 'ofrjthe camlatch arm 49 for repetition of the cycle as describedfthel coaction of the cam faces of the members 48Iland 49 fieX-" ing the spring and thus permitting them to pass each other: in the relatively downward movement of the member ,49."

Each of the cartridges or guns preferablyisofthe construction shown in Fig. 4.- The main. body; casing or gun barrel consists of two tubular members, 51',"52,:s ho,uldered and screw-threaded to eachother as clearlyljshown' at53.. Theimember 51 at its outer end .has an endflvall" formed with suitable apertures for an inwardly-seating percussionrcapt54 and aninwardly withdrawableitapered. plug 55.

A captive projectile 56 is'rnounted in the gun-barrel structure. It has at its rear end a piston-like head which slidably fits in a large-diameter .part of the bore and a shank or shaft portion of less diameter extending forward fromxthe head and slidably fitting ina bore :of like diameter in the forward end portion of the member 52. Its forward end portion is hollow and potentially open at the front for reception of a sample of an earth formation into which it is to beshot, but, to withstand thewhighlt hydrostaticpressure of drillers'mud-in a deep wellfiand to seal otf the interior of the-cartridge from-the-mudfthe front end of the projectile is closed by 'a 'metal' plate57 and the muzzle of the gunis' sealed-byanapplication of a sealing material, such as a thick coating of a hardening plastic, 58, overlying the plate, both of them being adapted tobe ruptured and wholly =or-in part driven into the projectile-aheadofthe'sampleywhen the gun is firedor atleast when the-projectile hits the formation.-

Preferably the projectile is formedwith air-venting apertures 59,59 -at the-inner end of its sample-receiving cavity. It cairalso-be formedwith a weakening circurnferentia-l "groove 60 a little-way-back of that position,-so that if the projectile can not be withdrawn from a hard formation itcanbe broken-off, and the apparatus thus released,=by loweringor forcibly raising the apparatus.

For impelling the projectile forward a charge of powder 61 is--suitably--placed,--and for pulling out-the plug-55 and-thus -venting-the powder chamber for'return move- I ment'of the projectile, but only after the powder blast v has given th'e necessary velocity to the projectile, the= plug 55 is connected to thepiston-like head'of the projectile" 'by a 'cable -62 of suitable length.

To vent air from the annular space aroundthe shank portionof the projectile, --in'- front of its pistonportion, in the first part of its forward movement, and-then to vent hot combustion gases-from back of the piston, the casing member 52 is formed at'a suitable position with a venthole 63'."

In dealing with soft formations, a spring-64-'in-the-- annular space just referred'to,-interposed betweenthe piston head and a shoulder in the casing member52, can have suflicient strengthto'withdraw the projectile from the formation and into the. gun-barrel structure, so that the latter can pass on.downward in'the device.-

To make sure 'ofsuchwithdrawal of the'projectile; however; acharge' of powder 65 is placed in an annular pocket formed in the shouldered; sn1all-inner-diarneter-= portion'of the member 52"and sealed'off by awpouring 66"of a'hardening fiowable material such as paraffin or scaling wax, withan'interveninglayer'67 of paper'or the like if. desired.

For timed firin'g of this charge of powder,"afterthe projectilet'has completed "or "almost completed its -forward movement, which may-be -of"variable lengthiaccording to-the-nearness and the hardness of the formation,- a time fuse or a thin' colurnn'ofpowderfilt is pla'ced: in a hole whichextendsfrom the shoulder face of the member 52, through its vent aperture 63, and into the chamber 'occupied' by the--p0wder- 65.

Whenthepiston head of the projectile in its forward movement;pass'es"the'iventaperture 63', the hot'gases' escaping through the vent ignite the fuse or thin powder I column and in-a suitable-length of time. the combustion of the latter 'progressesto and ignites the powder charge- 65fwhich; acting 'againstthe shoulder ofthe piston, re-' turns the projectile to its starting position.

Toiprevent "drillers mud-or moisture fromrentering the gun throughthevent hole'63,' the hole is closed and sealed by a large-headed,- short-shanked plug 69 of sealingwaxor the" like, adapted to beblown out by-the explosion gases, or by -vented-air.

Thword *wall as-used-"in-- thesappended claims is f intended to be inclusive of structures underlying water, as in the case of an ocean floor.

Variousmodifications are possible Without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

I. Apparatus of the character described comprising a sample-taking captive projectile, a first explosive means for impelling the projectile in one direction for taking a sample, a second explosive means for impelling it in the opposite direction, and means for firing the two said explosive means in timed succession.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, a sample-taking captive projectile slidably mounted therein and adapted to be partly projected from an end thereof, a first explosive means for so projecting it, a second explosive means for returning it at least approximately to its starting position, and means for firing the two said explosive means in timed succession.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, a sample-taking captive projectile slidably mounted therein and adapted to be partly projected from an end thereof, a first explosive means for so projecting it, and a second explosive means for returning it at least approximately to its starting position, the assembly including delayed-action means actuated by firing of the first-mentioned explosive means for firing the secondmentioned explosive means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,506 Schlumberger Sept. 29, 1936 2,307,729 Foster Jan. 5, 1943 2,334,428 Miller Nov. 16, 1943 2,392,683 McWhorter Jan. 8, 1946 2,546,669 Kirby II .....t Mar. 27, 1951 

